"Never work with children and animals." That age old saying really doesn't apply to photographers where our two most called for family photographs are for portraits of Children and of pets. To be honest, both are generally a delight to photograph.

I had the pleasure last week of conducting a photo shoot for Pawlas- Home form Home dog boarding services, based in Benfleet, Essex. In for the 'shoot' that day were 10 dogs, including Erica our own Cockerpoo. The session was great fun and it was highly entertaining watching Paula and her co-worker arrange the animals and getting them to behave. To be fair, all the dogs were great and hardly problematical at all....that is, except for one...Erica! Erica is the largest dog that Paula will look after, as she specialises on small to medium breeds and Erica is not exactly big, although she is quite stocky (she's the chunky Blonde in the photos) And stubborn. Stocky and stubborn! Erica is a regular guest at Pawlas and I have been assured is normally very well behaved. On this occasion though she was obviously playing up because her owner was there. She would tell all the doggies off if they got close to me or 'god forbid' wanted to sniff the various pieces of camera equipment we had around the place. Typically whenever we went to take a shot, Erica would just come and sit right in front of the camera lens.

Paula Gittens started Pawlas a number of years ago and offers a fantastic service for those of us who need our dogs looked after from time to time, whether it is whilst we're on holiday or while we are at work. My wife and I have used various dog sitters over the years for Erica, but none have made us feel as confident at looking after her as Paula does, with Erica always looking healthy and happy when we pick her up.

Here in the UK, there are many picturesque locations dotted around the country. For some of them, it also comes down to timing, for instance the very short but wonderful bluebell crops that appear in the spring time giving an amazing splash of colour to the woodlands. Another fantastically beautiful sight, is that of the summers lavender fields. Lavender fields aren't particularly abundant in the UK, but are definitely worth seeking out, not only for their tone of colour but also the incredible fragrance that emanates into the surrounding air. Less than an hours drive from our base in Essex, just over the dartford bridge is Castle Farm a lovely family run farm, specialising in Lavender.. and also traditional hops (the latter of which is lovingly bunched and sued to decorate wedding venues and the like. They process the lavender on site and create wonderful produce, such as oils, scents and soaps and even lavender fudge...which is luxuriously delicate on the pallet. For a short period in the summer months, as well as being able to take part in tours of the farm, the public are invited to take part in an evenings picnic in the lavender fields. These are normally announced late notice as they are obviously weather dependent but are definitely worth doing. It really is a lovely way to spend a summers evening indulging in a glass of wine or a beer, nibbling on a sausage roll and being surrounded by the lilac tones and the hum of the honey bees, too lazy to bother you as they are filled to the brim with nectar.

Details of Castle farm and their events can be found at: www.hopshop.co.uk

With the summer season upon us and the glorious sunshine abounding, there will be many sighs of relief on the morning of a couples wedding day, when they look outside the window and see that the sun is shining on their special day. This is probably one of the key things that couples hope for and with good reason. When the sun is out the world feels a happier place. Above all, there will be beautiful bright photographs capturing the day.

This is not to say however, that if you peek behind the curtains on your wedding day and you're greeted by grey skies and clouds that your images will lack any wonder. Far from it! A cloudy sky can add a tremendous impact to your photographs. Dealt with in the right way a wedding photographer can use the sky's textures and contrasts to create a compelling scene and give you better wedding photos than you could imagine. The light on a cloudy day is also much softer, adding a more flattering appearance to all the subjects.

Whilst we are relatively blest with summers here in Essex, a good wedding photographer needs to be ready to adapt and deliver 'whatever the weather'.

What a fantastic night William Verner and his team put on at the wonderful Arlington function suite in Leigh-on-sea last night. From the photos, you can see it was a resounding success and everyone I spoke with at the venue, was thoroughly enjoying themselves. The dance floor was packed from the moment I entered the building and showed no signs of slowing down. If you were at the event, head to www.luketsosborne.photography/ar25 and revisit the good times, view and download the images and more! I'm sure you will all be looking forward to the next party night at the Arlington. For more information, visit their webpage (